Interaction hypothesis (Long): negotiation of meaning during interaction generates comprehensible input that drives L2 acquisition¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · 6 claims (3 for, 1 mixed, 2 against) · 1 study (1 causal), q3 · 1 of 1 report an effect size · 6 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The article organizes its study around Long's interaction hypothesis, under which modification of interaction in NNS-NS encounters keeps interaction going and provides comprehensible input. As the article states, "The more L2 interaction the learner holds with others, the more negotiation of meaning would take place, and subsequently, the more comprehensible input the learner would receive." Negotiation of meaning is defined as interactional work (clarification requests, confirmation checks, recasts, repetition, elaboration) done when communication problems occur, and acquisition is claimed to occur effectively within interaction.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Communication problems or misunderstandings must occur during interaction for negotiation sequences to arise

Constraints¶

• Foster (1998), cited in the article, found little evidence of negotiation in classroom data, suggesting classrooms may not be fertile contexts for un-coached negotiation

Target Learners¶

• second/foreign language learners, including Chinese learners of English in high school and college

Target Learning Objectives¶

• L2 vocabulary acquisition
• comprehension of target-language input

Claims¶

• Negotiation Meaning Raises Comprehensible Input High School [+M]
• College No Comprehensible Input Difference [-M]
• Learner age/level moderates the benefit of negotiation of meaning: high school learners relied on it more than college learners [~W]
• In college groups, no correlation was found between frequency of negotiation of meaning and vocabulary score [-W]
• In high school groups, frequency of negotiation of meaning correlates positively with vocabulary score (r = 0.761) and with comprehensible input (r = 0.310) [+M]
• In both high school and college groups, learners with negotiation of meaning scored higher on the delayed post-vocabulary test than learners with pre-modified input only [+M]

Related Theories¶

• Long's interaction hypothesis — the canonical page for this theory

• Long's interaction hypothesis

• Ellis's revised interaction hypothesis: noticing, comparison, and integration as the basic acquisitional procedures
• Ellis's revised Interaction Hypothesis: acquisition via noticing, comparison and integration
• Krashen's input hypothesis and Monitor Model of second language acquisition
• Swain's output hypothesis

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Baoshu Yi & Zhinong Sun. (2013). An Empirical Study of the Effectiveness of Negotiation of Meaning in L2 Vocabulary Acquisition of Chinese Learners of English. English Language Teaching, 6(10). https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v6n10p120